Railway truck



July 18, 1950 R. H. SPENCER 2,516,081

RAILWAY TRUCK Filed May 3, 1945 *1 k g N fibberz H Spencer Patented July 18, 1 95b UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY TRUCK Robert H. Spencer, Melrose Park, Ill.

Application May 3, 1945, Serial No. 591,706

2 Claims.

is pivotally supported and which is carried by "cushion-springs with improved spring devices which are supplemental to said cushion-springs and are operative between the sides of the'frame and the bolster, which efficiently absorb shock. This is attained primarily by providing shock absorbing devices, each of which include a pair of opposed compression coil-springs operating between one end of the bolster and one side of the frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide shock absorbing devices for wheeled railway trucks of the type described-which are simple in construction, efficient in operation, and are efiicient in absorbing vibration and shock which result from relative movements of the bolster and truck-frame.

Other objects will appear from the detailed description.

The invention consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a transverse section of a railway truck embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through one of the shock absorbing devices.

The invention is exemplifiedin a railway car truck which comprises rigidly connected side frames e, wheels 1 on axles extending into journalled boxes 8,-a bolster 9 mounted for vertical sliding movement in thesides of the frame, and on which the car-body is pivotally sustained, and cushion-springs It between the bolster and a spring-plank H supported on the side frames, and which carry the bolster. All of these parts may be of usual construction.

Shock absorbing devices embodying the invention are provided at the outer sides of the frame sides, respectively, and between the sides of the frame and the outer ends of the bolster so that shocks applied to either end of the bolster will be absorbed. These devices are disposed at the outer sides of the truck frame, extend vertically, and are alike in construction. Each of these devices comprises generally a cylinder, a stem movable in the cylinder, an abutment onthe stem, opposed upper and lower springs between the abutment and the ends of the cylinder, means on the upper end of the cylinder for pivotal connection to one side of the frame, and means on the lower end of the stern for pivotal'connection to one end of the bolster. The cylinder includes a body 15, a head l6 welded in the lower end of said body, and a head I! which is secured by a screw-thread 18 on the upper end of the cylinder, and an integral eye i9 for a pin 20 which extends through said eye, and pivotally connects the cylinder to a forked bracket 23 which is rigidly secured to the upper member of one of the sides of the frame 6 above the bolster 9. The stem 24 which is slidable in the cylinder extends loosely through an opening 25 in the lower head it of the cylinder and is provided at its lower end with an eye 26 for a pin 27 which pivotally connects said stem to a saddle 28 which is fixedly secured as at 30 in one of the outer end portions of the bolster 9 and has depending sides through which pin 21 extends. An abutment or suspension head 34 is centrally disposed in the cylinder, and screwthreaded on the end of stem 24 which terminates in the cylinder-body 45. A lower compression coil-spring extends between and engages abut-- ment 34 on stem 24 and head H5 in the lower end of the cylinder. An upper compression coilspring 31 extends between and engages abutment 34 and head i! at the upper end of the cylinder. Each lower spring 35 yieldingly resists and cushions downward movement of the end of the bolster 9 to which it is applied relatively to the adjacent side of the frame. Each upper spring 31 yieldingly resists and cushions the upward or rebound movement of the bolster relatively to the adjacent side of the frame. In practice, it has been found that more efficient shock absorption results when the lower spring 35 is of greater magnitude and resilient resistance to the downward movement of the bolster and the spring 31 is of lesser magnitude for cushioning the rebound or upward movement of the bolster in the side of the frame. For example: the lower spring 35 may be formed of round wire /16 of an inch in diameter and the upper spring 31 of Wire having a diameter of an inch. The normal spacing between eyes l9 and 26 and the relative compression of lower springs 35 and upper springs 3'! may be varied by rotation of said stem in abutment 34 when the stem is disconnected from saddle 28 on bolster 9. In this manner, each shock absorbingdevice may be adjusted for the normal loading of the bolster and to vary the normal resistance of the upper and lower springs to relative vertical movement of the bolster and the frame, so that normally both springs are under compression the desired degree to absorb shocks.

Under normal loading, the abutments 34 which are connected to the bolster are yieldingly suspended against up and down movement by the upper and lower springs which act in opposition to each other and restrain and cushion the movement of said abutments in the cylinders so that movement of the outer ends of the bolster 9 relatively to the frame 6 will be correspondingly cushioned and resisted to absorb shocks and vibration. The axes of the pivotal connections tween the truck frame and the bolster.

between the cylinders and the sides of the frame and between the stems 24 which carry the abutments 34 and the bolster extend longitudinally of the vehicle to prevent side sway between the bolster and the frame and the springs 35, 3'! to yieldingly resist such sway.

Lateral motion rollers 40, which are provided between the bolster and the upper retainer for.

each set of springs 10, and the pivot pins. 2'1,

which are provided for the supplemental shock absorbing devices, extend longitudinally of the car for permitting relative lateral motion be- A lug 4| on the bolster extends into and has a limited transverse movement in a slot 42 in one of the 35,; and upper springs 31 which are under compression so that the relative up and down movements between the bolster and the frame will be yieldingly resisted. The lower springs 35 are normally under compression and carry some of the load from the bolster, which is also carried. by the main. bolster-springs l0. Shocks produced .on the wheels by the rails are cushioned anad absorbed by the lower springs 35. Shocks imparted to the main bolster-springs are cushioned by the lower springs in the cylinders. The combined action of the upper and lower springs tend to keep the bolster and car-body level. The upper spring3l is of lesser magnitude than the lower spring 35 to effect a gradual increase in resistance of the rebound movements of the bolster. In practice, it has also been found that the combined action of the upper and lower springs in the} cylinders breaks up any harmonic action in thebolster-springs, and in general prevents shock inthe railway truck.

The devices of the construction described are adapted for very heavy loads for absorbing shocks, jars and vibrations caused by the unevenness in the roadbed and track imperfections. The spring devices.- between the outer ends of thebolster and, the sides of the frame cause shocks produced at either or both sides of the truck to be, effectively absorbed. The opposed springs alsoreact on the pivotal connections between the shock absorbing devices and frame and-bolster to cushion relative side sway of the frame and bolster.

The invention is applicable to railway trucks with any of the usual number of wheels and to trucks of different standard construction.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may bemodified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-is:

I 1. In a wheeled railway car truck, the combination with side frames, a bolster slidable in and movable transversely in and extending through the side frames and projecting outwardly therefrom, and load carrying cushion springs for the bolster carried by the side frames; of a pair of shock absorbing devices at the outer sides of the side frames respectively, each of said devices comprising upper and lower vertically extending opposed compression springs disposed at the outer side of one of the side frames and transversely aligned with the center of the bolster, an abutment interposed between the contiguous ends of the opposed upper and lower springs, a forked saddle on one=of the projecting ends of the bolster atthe outer side of oneof the side frames, means for vertically supporting said abutment on said saddle, an abutment for supporting the lower end of the lower spring, means for pivotally connecting the upper abutment for the upper spring for pivotal movement on a longitudinal axis to one of the side frames, and a rigid supporting connection between the upper abutment for the upper spring and the lower abutment for the lower spring for supporting and carrying some of the load imposed on the upper end of the lower springby theintermediate abutment, the lower spring, having greater magnitude than the upper spring.

2. In a wheeled railway car truck, the combination with side frames, a bolster slidable in and movable transversely in and extending through the side frames and projecting outwardly therefrom, and load carrying cushion springs for the bolster carried by the side frames; of a pair of shock absorbing devices at the outer sides of. the side frames respectively, each of said devices. comprising upper and lower vertically extending opposed compression springs disposed at, the outer side. of. one of the side frames and transversely alignedwith the center of the bolster, an abutment interposed between the con:- tiguous ends of: the opposed upper and lower springs, a forked saddle, on one of the projecting ends of thebolster at the outer side of one of the side frames, adjustable means for verticallysupporting said abutment on said. saddle, an abutment for supporting the lower end of the lower spring, means for pivotally connecting'the upper abutment for the upper spring for pivotal movement on a longitudinal axis to one of the side frames, a rigid supporting connection between the upper abutmentv for the upper spring and the lower abutment, for the lower spring for supporting and carryingsome-of the loadimposed on the upper end of the lower spring'by the intermediate abutment, the lower spring having greater magnitudethan the upper spring, and means foradiusting theupper abutment for the upper spring andthe lower abutment for the lower-springrelatively to the intermediateabutment.

ROBERT H. SPENCER...

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS France. Sept...4, 1933 

